Episode 5

full
Published on:

6th May 2025

"Ink, Forgery, Faith, and Murder: Mark Hoffman - The Mormon Bomber"

In the shadows of Salt Lake City, a quiet, bookish man was rewriting history—one lie at a time.

Mark Hofmann wasn’t just a master forger. He was a psychological illusionist. A manipulator of belief. A man who understood that the most powerful lies are the ones people want to believe.

In this episode, we peel back the layers of a story that rocked the foundations of faith, shook the Mormon Church to its core, and left two innocent people dead.

What begins as a tale of counterfeit documents and rare religious relics quickly spirals into obsession, deception—and murder. Because when Hofmann’s web of lies began to unravel, he didn’t just cover his tracks.

He lit a fuse.

📍 Salt Lake City. 1985.

Three bombs. Two bodies. One of the most sophisticated con men in American history.

Join us as we dive into the mind of Mark Hofmann—how he fooled scholars, leaders, and entire institutions... and why, in the end, the truth was too dangerous to leave alive.

🔎 Topics covered:

  • The psychology of a lifelong deceiver
  • The Salamander Letter and the forgeries that shook Mormon history
  • How Hofmann manipulated an entire religious community
  • The chilling murders that ended his con
  • The blurred line between faith, fraud, and the stories we choose to believe

Podcast Donations

Please consider donating to the podcast so I can continue to put out the kind of content you love.
Click Here To Donate
A
We haven’t had any Tips yet :( Maybe you could be the first!
Show artwork for Heists, Hustles, and Homicide

About the Podcast

Heists, Hustles, and Homicide
True Crime Stories
Welcome to Heists, Hustles, and Homicide — the true crime podcast where brains, betrayal, and blood all share the same spotlight.
I'm Big Steve your host, and each week, I’ll take you into the minds of the boldest criminals, the slickest con artists, and the darkest murderers history has to offer.
Some of these stories you’ve heard whispers of.
Some have been buried.
And some? They were never supposed to be uncovered at all.
We’ll crack open legendary heists that rewrote the rules…
We’ll follow the hustlers who schemed their way into the high life…
And we’ll revisit chilling homicides that still haunt investigators — and victims’ families — decades later.
But this isn’t just about crime.
It’s about people.
What drives someone to pull off the perfect con — or the perfect murder?
Is it desperation? Greed? Ego? Revenge?
Each episode, we’ll unravel one real-life case — beginning to end.
Some episodes will play out like thrillers.
Others will feel like puzzles missing a single, crucial piece.
And in every one, we’ll ask the same question:
How far would you go?
So whether you're into high-stakes break-ins, twisted lies, or unsolved crimes that keep you up at night — welcome.
You’ve found your new obsession.
This is Heists, Hustles, and Homicide.
Make sure to follow the show, and buckle up — episode one drops next week”.
Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
Support This Show

About your host

Profile picture for Steven Waite

Steven Waite